Do drivers know crosswalk rules? H.B. operation cites 45

Oct. 29, 2013

Updated Oct. 30, 2013 2:56 p.m.

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Debbie Pena, a crossing guard, holds traffic at the Intersection of Yorktown Avenue and Brigantine Lane in Huntington Beach early Tuesday morning near Isojiro Oka School. Huntington Beach police officers also spent Tuesday morning walking across the crosswalk to see if drivers would yield to pedestrians. Drivers that did not yield were then pulled over by other officers waiting nearby. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Huntington Beach Police Officer Toby Archer throws up his arms after nearly being hit by a car while pushing a stroller across Pacific Coast Highway at 14th Street in Huntington Beach Tuesday morning. Archer and fellow officer Steve Fong crossed the highway to see if drivers would yield to pedestrians. Drivers that did not yield were then pulled over by other officers waiting nearby and issued citations. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Huntington Beach Police Officer Toby Archer gets on his radio to have fellow officers pull over the woman driving this SUV as she drives through a crosswalk as Archer tries to cross at the Intersection of Yorktown Avenue and Brigantine Lane in Huntington Beach early Tuesday morning near Isojiro Oka School. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Huntington Beach police officers look on as Debbie Pena, a crossing guard, holds traffic at the Intersection of Yorktown Avenue and Brigantine Lane in Huntington Beach early Tuesday morning near Isojiro Oka School. Huntington Beach police officers also spent Tuesday morning walking across the crosswalk to see if drivers would yield to pedestrians. Drivers that did not yield were then pulled over by other officers waiting nearby and issued citations. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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A Huntington Beach police officer speaks with a driver who failed to yield at a pedestrian crossing on Pacific Coast Highway at 14th Street in Huntington Beach Tuesday morning. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Huntington Beach Police Officers Steve Fong and Toby Archer push strollers as they walk across Pacific Coast Highway at 14th Street in Huntington Beach Tuesday morning to see if drivers would yield to pedestrians. Drivers that did not yield were then pulled over by other officers waiting nearby. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Huntington Beach Police Officer Toby Archer throws up his arms after nearly being hit by a car while pushing a stroller across Pacific Coast Highway at 14th Street in Huntington Beach Tuesday morning. Archer and fellow officer Steve Fong crossed the highway to see if drivers would yield to pedestrians. Drivers that did not yield were then pulled over by other officers waiting nearby and issued citations. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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A Huntington Beach motorcycle officer prepares to pull over the woman driving this SUV after she drove through a crosswalk as another officer tried to cross at the Intersection of Yorktown Avenue and Brigantine Lane in Huntington Beach early Tuesday morning near Isojiro Oka School. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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A Huntington Beach police officer speaks with a driver who failed to yield at a pedestrian crossing on Pacific Coast Highway at 14th Street in Huntington Beach Tuesday morning. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Students and parents cross at the Intersection of Yorktown Avenue and Brigantine Lane in Huntington Beach early Tuesday morning as they make their way to Isojiro Oka School. Huntington Beach police officers also spent Tuesday morning walking across the crosswalk to see if drivers would yield to pedestrians. Drivers that did not yield were then pulled over by other officers waiting nearby. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Huntington Beach Police Sergeant Dave Dereszynski adds up the citations officers wrote to drivers that failed to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks Tuesday morning. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Huntington Beach Police Officer Toby Archer pushes a stroller across Pacific Coast Highway at 14th Street in Huntington Beach Tuesday morning. Archer and fellow officer Steve Fong crossed the highway to see if drivers would yield to pedestrians. Drivers that did not yield were then pulled over by other officers waiting nearby and issued citations. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Huntington Beach Police Officer Steve Fong pushes a stroller across Edwards Street at Wrenfield Drive in Huntington Beach Tuesday morning to see if drivers would yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Drivers that did not yield were then pulled over by other officers waiting nearby and issued citations. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Huntington Beach Police Officer Steve Fong pushes a toy stroller across Edwards Street at Wrenfield Drive in Huntington Beach Tuesday morning to see if drivers would yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Drivers that did not yield were then pulled over by other officers waiting nearby and issued citations. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Debbie Pena, a crossing guard, holds traffic at the Intersection of Yorktown Avenue and Brigantine Lane in Huntington Beach early Tuesday morning near Isojiro Oka School. Huntington Beach police officers also spent Tuesday morning walking across the crosswalk to see if drivers would yield to pedestrians. Drivers that did not yield were then pulled over by other officers waiting nearby. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Traffic sting citations

Huntington Beach police cited 45 people in their traffic enforcement sting on Tuesday. Here's a list of the various violations:

• 39 citations for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, a $238 ticket

• 4 citations for passing a stopped vehicle which is allowing a pedestrian to cross in a crosswalk, a $490 fine

• 1 citation for driving on a suspended license

• 1 citation for driving without a license

• 1 vehicle towed for driver driving on a suspended license

• 7 warnings issued to drivers for violating crosswalk law

What is the law?

When it comes to drivers and pedestrians in crosswalks, the law says a driver cannot enter a crosswalk until a pedestrian is completely clear of the crossing.

However, police will generally only cite drivers who are entering a crosswalk at an unsafe distance from a pedestrian. Police make a judgment call to determine if the driver is posing an immediate risk to the pedestrian, said Sgt. Dave Dereszynski.

Although drivers are expected to yield to pedestrians, crosswalk or not, those crossing the street have a responsibility to cross legally and safely. Pedestrians darting in front of cars and giving the driver little time to react could be found at fault if an accident occurs.

HUNTINGTON BEACH – Police cited 45 people on Tuesday in the department’s first traffic enforcement sting to target drivers violating crosswalk rules, an effort prompted by ongoing complaints about speeding and inattentive drivers near schools and pedestrian-heavy areas.

Police launched a four-hour operation at three intersections, funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety.

“We’re really trying to get creative so the citizens can benefit from it,” said Sgt. Dave Dereszynski, who headed up the eight-person operation that included two detectives, two patrol cars and three motorcycle officers. “It’s definitely been a success and we want to have more of these and find new ways to educate the public.”

There were 43 crosswalk-related violations and seven warnings given out by officers.

Two other citations were handed out for people driving without a license or driving on a suspended license.

During the operation, detectives Thoby Archer and Steve Fong would cross back and forth in the marked crosswalk.

The detectives wore brightly-colored clothing and would only step in the crosswalk if the vehicle was between 171 and 300 feet away, a distance marked by cones placed on the sidewalk and based on a mathematical formula that gives the driver enough time to see the pedestrian and react.

At times, cars would come within feet of striking them or speed up and blast through the crossing area to avoid having to stop.

“It’s almost like they want to see if they’ll get away with getting around you,” Archer said after a few close calls in the crosswalk. “It’s almost incumbent on the pedestrian to be aware.”

Since 2009, there have been 161 accidents involving pedestrians in crosswalks in Huntington Beach. Of those, 94 percent resulted in injury and 73 percent were determined to be the driver’s fault, Dereszynski said.

He said Huntington Beach had three fatalities in the last year involving pedestrians and vehicles.

“People in general are in a hurry to get places,” he said. “You have to drive defensively.”

Stacey Cleboski, 39, said she stopped walking her kids to school about a year ago after her family was almost struck in the crosswalk at Edwards Street and Wrenfield Drive, one of the intersections monitored by police on Tuesday.

Although the crosswalk is marked, there is no crossing guard or flashing lights.

“This is a really big deal. We can’t even cross the street here,” she said. “I would walk to school but it’s just too dangerous.”

Crossing guards act as an added safety measure but it doesn’t solve the problem either, illustrated by the 20-plus citations handed out on Tuesday near Isojiro Oka Elementary School on Yorktown Avenue near Brookhurst Street.

The problem isn’t unique to school areas.

Watching the detectives push strollers carrying dolls across Pacific Coast Highway at 14th Street was the most anxiety-producing part of the morning.

Cars were traveling faster than near the schools and many drivers told officers they were unaware the intersection was a crosswalk.

Because of the higher speed, police gave drivers 340 feet to stop marked by cones for PCH.

A neon yellow sign alerts drivers it is a crossing but there are no ground markings, which could make it difficult for drivers to know pedestrians are allowed to cross.

Surfers, dog walkers and runners used the crossing Tuesday morning, including resident John Leonard, 72, with his dog Enzo.

Leonard said he generally avoids the 14th Street crossing.

“I don’t notice many people slowing down in the morning,” he said. “I prefer to go to a light simply because I feel safer.”

As the detectives walked back and forth across PCH, cars would speed up or quickly change lanes to get around them. Other drivers didn’t seem to hit their brakes until being dangerously close.

The detectives were yelled at several times, honked at and even flipped off by one driver.

Resident Deborah Nassir, 46, lives on the corner of PCH and 14th Street and said the area has been a big problem for residents.

Nassir suggested installing flashing yellow lights to better alert drivers when a pedestrian is in the street.

“I hope they do something,” she said.

This program is one of several public safety enforcement efforts covered by the $270,000 OTC grant. Other programs include targeting distracted drivers and DUI saturation patrols, Dereszynski said.

He said their enforcement efforts won’t always be targeted to drivers. They plan to do a pedestrian-focused operation to educate those crossing unsafely or illegally.

Police plan to have a second crosswalk enforcement sting but have not yet set a date.

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